A relatively recent organization of male channelers known as Asha'man co-led by Mazrim Taim, Logain Ablar, and Rand al'Thor. Serves as the SpearCounterpart to the White Tower, and uses the polar opposite philosophies. Due to the [[DrivenToMadness rather]] [[BlessedWithSuck unpleasant]] reputation of male channelers, this idea is met with less than great praise, but they serve to fight much more readily and with less constraints than the Aes Sedai.

* AlmightyJanitor: Due to their training, even a "Soldier" is a very serious threat.* BadassArmy: How Rand first intends for them to help him, hence why he made the organization with "Soldier" as the lowest rank.* BadassLongcoat: All members of the Asha'man wear long black overcoats.* BlessedWithSuck: ''Saidin'' and its Taint are rather horrible ways to die, and inevitable for male channelers. [[spoiler:That is, until the end of Book 9, and less as of Book 13, with Nynaeve's discovery of the anti-taint madness weave.]]* [[spoiler:BrainwashedAndCrazy: An unknown number of them were turned to a forced FaceHeelTurn by Taim by using the "thirteen channelers through thirteen Myrdraal" trick.]]* TheDreaded: A quote from the RPG mentions that "The Order of Asha'man represent something feared since the Breaking of the World-an organised [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity brotherhood of]] [[BlessedWithSuck men who]] [[PersonOfMassDestruction can channel]]."** [[spoiler: This attitude is starting to change with the beginning of the Fourth Age, although it is acknowledge by certain characters that this will take some time.]]* FromNobodyToNightmare: At least to the rest of the world. Or rather, from nightmare to even worse nightmare.* HumanWeapon: [[InvokedTrope Rand created the tower]] for the express purpose of creating [[InsistentTerminology weapons]] for the Last Battle.** [[spoiler: IAmNotAGun: Rand's last order to the Asha'man is to think of themselves not as weapons, but as men.]]* LastNameBasis: Almost every single one of them is referred to by last name almost exclusively aside from within the Black Tower itself. One notable exception is [[OnlySaneMan Logain]].* MagicKnight: They are all trained in both swordsmanship and the Power, and are explicitly referred to as soldiers.* MarsAndVenusGenderContrast: Their use of the power is so alien to Aes Sedai that it is impossible to teach one gender how the other uses it effectively.* MundaneUtility: People in the Black Tower are told to use their channeling for anything and everything so as to train themselves at all times, as opposed to Aes Sedai who only use channeling when they need to and are punished for using it without permission before being raised to the shawl.* PersonOfMassDestruction: An organization of them. See the [[CurbStompBattle Battle of]] [[LudicrousGibs Dumai's Wells]] for a specific example.* TheUnfettered: Unlike the White Tower. Asha'man have none of the [[RestrainingBolt moral constraints]] of Aes Sedai except their own compunctions, leading them to be able to perform weaves that Aes Sedai never would, such as a LudicrousGibs maker and [[spoiler:Aligning the Matrix to make Power-wrought weaponry]].* SpearCounterpart: To the White Tower. They even have their own three-rank system (Soldier-->Dedicated-->Asha'man), just as the Aes Sedai have their own (Novice-->Accepted-->Aes Sedai).* TrainingFromHell: Trainees are pushed relentlessly to develop their power, so their attrition rate is much higher than the more forgiving White Tower. Justified in that the Tower was founded with the knowledge that the Last Battle was coming soon.* WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity: And they're the [[DestructiveSaviour good guys!]] [[spoiler:...[[BrainwashedAndCrazy mostly]].]]

[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:Mazrim Taim, M'Hael of the Asha'man]][[quoteright:225:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/TaimSmaller_8536.jpg]]

A "False Dragon", Taim once declared himself the Dragon Reborn as a publicity stunt. Obviously, he's not, but that didn't stop the chaos. Unlike most False Dragons, Taim can actually channel (and very strongly too), and escaped soon after he was captured by Aes Sedai (which is more than can be said for Logain Ablar). He unexpectedly shows up in Book 6 (though he had been TheGhost since Book 2) and is placed in command of Rand's personal WizardingSchool, "The Black Tower," where male channelers train to become ''Asha'man'' and fight in The Last Battle. Rand trusts him to do this, which is unfortunate, because [[TheStarscream Taim quite obviously has his own agenda]]. [[spoiler: He's actually a Darkfriend recruited by Demandred and sent to undermine Rand's efforts at organizing male channelers; he ended up bringing enough new Dreadlords to the Last Battle that it got him a promotion to the Forsaken [[MeaningfulRename under the name M'Hael]]]].

* [[spoiler:AwesomeMomentOfCrowning: He is officially named M'Hael by the Dark One in the prologue for Book 14, and joins the ranks of the Forsaken.]]* {{Badass}}: A prominent ex-False Dragon, and the only one who was never gentled. The LudicrousGibs weave at Dumai's Wells was ''his'' idea, though he doesn't get much of a chance to show off in person until the last book. [[spoiler: He's the only Third Ager judged worthy of joining the Forsaken, on top of that]].* BigDamnHeroes: He arrives at Dumai's Wells with 200 recruits just in time to save Rand from 40,000 angry Shaido warriors, leading to...* CombatPragmatist: "''Asha'man'': '''''[[LudicrousGibs kill]]'''''."* DarkMessiah: The most powerful and dangerous False Dragon who ever lived.* DevilInPlainSight: He's a boundlessly ambitious military commander who's been channeling for a decade with no sign of madness, who resents the Dragon, and whose subordinates avoid speaking his name, preferring instead to refer to him by a vaguely ominous-sounding word in the Old Tongue. Logain seems to be the only person to see any danger signs in this.[[spoiler: However, ''A Memory of Light'' shows that most of the Asha'man who weren't his cronies began to suspect he was up to no good; he used a dreamspike to keep anyone from Travelling to or from the Black Tower and catching on, and then used Myrddraal to help Turn those who still resisted him]].** Even before he started showing his true colors, the voice of Lews Therin in Rand's head screams to kill him whenever Taim is around. Unfortunately, Rand ignores this, considering Lews Therin says that [[AxCrazy a lot]]. * [[spoiler: TheDragon: Spends most of the Last Battle acting as this for Demandred]]. * [[spoiler:EleventhHourRanger: The Dark One names him a member of the Chosen in the prologue to Book 14, with the Last Battle imminent, for his [[TheCorrupter services]] with regards to [[BrainwashedAndCrazy the Black Tower]].]]* EvilCounterpart: To Logain. * JustTheFirstCitizen: M'Hael just means "leader" in the Old Tongue, which doesn't sound very impressive as a title- until you consider that without specifications, the word M'Hael by itself implies that he leads ''everyone and everything''. [[ANaziByAnyOtherName Führer]] also means leader in German.* ManipulativeBastard* MeaningfulRename: [[spoiler: Originally, M'Hael was just his title. After he became a Forsaken, it became his name]]. ** [[spoiler: In a more meta-sense, M'Hael sounds somewhat like Michael, as in the ArchangelMichael who cast [[{{Satan}} Lucifer]] from Heaven on the orders of God. Rand is Lews Therin reborn, whose name and [[TheDreaded reputation]] are reminiscent of Lucifer. So he's a perversion of the Biblical story with Michael cast as the Devil, as Taim tries to expel Rand from the Tower in the service of the resident GodOfEvil; Rand's naïve trust in Taim evokes Lucifer being able to fool both Michael and God that he was a good guy until the 11th hour too. For bonus points, one of the other names for Lucifer / Satan is The Dragon.]] * [[spoiler: TheMole: For the Shadow. He was so good at it he got promoted to the Forsaken]]. * PowerLevels: Almost as strong as Rand in the Power.* PuttingOnTheReich: Assigns titles blatantly stolen from the Germans. His own title - ''M'Hael'' - means leader; however his use of it as an unqualified title actually translates more to "Führer".* TheResenter: Fulfills exactly the same role towards Rand that Demandred did towards Lews Therin Telamon* RedHerring: [[spoiler:Taim is introduced in the same book as Demandred, only a few chapters after Demandred gets an important task from the Dark One. When he and Rand come face to face for the first time, Lews Therin starts screaming about killing the Forsaken in Rand's head. At the end of the book, after Taim plays an integral part in the climax, Demandred is lauded for the success of his plan by the Dark One. The two also have a physical resemblance, most obviously in their hooked noses. Despite the hints, Robert Jordan confirmed that Taim is not Demandred in disguise, one of the very few times he ever {{Jossed}} something. This is confirmed in the prologue for Book 14, where both Demandred and Taim are present in the same scene. In perhaps a shout-out to the "Taimandred" theory, Demandred ''is'' revealed to have been the one who recruited him for the Shadow.]]* ShadowArchetype: To both Logain and Rand. * TheStarscream: Even though Rand is not the BigBad [[spoiler: though it's later revealed that Taim ''is'' working for the BigBad, and not ''just'' for his own ambitions. He plots to pull a more traditional version on Demandred- including getting smacked down handily for his troubles]]. * [[spoiler:TakenForGranite: Turned to crystal by Egwene during the Last Battle]]. [[/folder]]

[[folder:Logain Ablar]]

False Dragon at the same time as Mazrim Taim, he appears early on in the series, when Rand sees him being paraded through Caemlyn. Also an extremely powerful channeler, second only to Taim and Rand himself. He later reappears every now and then, as a supremely depressed individual focused only on revenge against the Red Ajah. Then he got his mojo back and leads one of the two factions of the Black Tower.

* TheAce: One of the most powerful male channelers alive, led a nearly successful campaign as a false Dragon, cunning, can see Ta'veren, and commands his own faction within the Black Tower.** BrokenAce: After being Gentled. He recovers from it before joining the Asha'man. In [=AMoL=]: [[spoiler: after being captured by Taim, tortured and subjected to the 13x13 trick (which failed to Turn him), he becomes a bit unhinged and obsessed with gaining power. He gets better.]]* {{Badass}}: As a prominent channeling ex-False Dragon, he'd have to be.** In [=AMoL=] [[spoiler: he is one of the four people to take on a sa'angreal-wielding Demandred, and despite losing, gets away the most unscathed.]]** FourStarBadass: A skilled military commander and one of Rand's right hand men.* BlueBlood: A minor lordling from Ghealdan. He had his estate confiscated after he proclaimed himself The Dragon Reborn.* {{Bookends}}: In Logain's first appearance, the people of Caemlyn look at him in awe, and in his final appearance, [[spoiler:the Caemlyn refugees look at him in awe. The difference is that the first time, the people are terrified of his power, but the second time, they are grateful for having been rescued from Trollocs. See WhatYouAreInTheDark below.]]* [[spoiler:BrainwashResidue: He didn't actually get Turned to the Shadow, but he came away with some serious [=PTSD=].]]* CassandraTruth: The very first time he meets Rand, Logain tells him that [[spoiler:Taim has his own agenda.]] Rand ''really'' should have listened...* {{Determinator}}: [[spoiler: Resists being Turned to the Shadow through sheer force of will, though it was explicitly noted that he wouldn't be able to last much longer.]]* FateWorseThanDeath: Was the last False Dragon to be gentled by the White Tower.** [[spoiler: Almost suffered the fate of being Turned to the Shadow.]]* AFatherToHisMen: [[ImpliedTrope Implied]]. In contrast to Rand who founded the Black Tower and then left it to its own devices, and Taim who is a [[DrillSergeantNasty brutal disciplinarian]] [[spoiler:[[TheStarscream (and also evil)]]]] Logain clearly has the interests of his fellow Asha'man in mind, and they respect him greatly for it.* FirstNameBasis: In contrast to [[LastNameBasis the rest]] of the Black Tower asha'man. [[FridgeBrilliance It may be a consequence of his title being revoked after he became a false dragon.]]* InformedAttribute: His rivalry with Taim, despite being one of the focal points of the Black Tower story, happens entirely offscreen. Logain and Taim share only ONE scene together in the entire series [[spoiler:and by that point, [[TheStarscream Taim's true loyalties]] have been laid bare.]]* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Through much the Last Battle, [[spoiler: but his decision to save Camelyn's refugees over taking Demandred's AmplifierArtifact cements it. It could be a sign of madness hitting him, or PTSD.]]* JumpedAtTheCall: Genuinely believed he was the Dragon Reborn and was punished for it.--> [[NotinThisForYourRevolution "It is not my war".]]--> "This is our war", Mat snapped. "Every one of us".--> "I stood forth to fight", Logain said. "And what was my reward? Ask the Red Ajah. They will tell you the reward of a man abused of the Pattern". He barked a laugh. "The Pattern demanded a Dragon! And so I came! Too soon. Just a little too soon".* MissedTheCall: Laments the fact that he was "too early" to be the Dragon Reborn, though acknowledges that [[ItSucksToBeTheChosenOne he wouldn't want that burden anyway]].* MoralityPet: Gabrelle ends up as his.* OffscreenMomentOfAwesome: [[spoiler: [[BigDamnHeroes When he leads the rescue of the Caemlyn refugees during the Last Battle]]]]* OnlySaneMan: Ironic, considering [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity the taint]], but up until he gets some allies in the Black Tower and Rand [[spoiler:has his epiphany on Dragonmount]], Logain is the only one who sees anything wrong with [[DevilInPlainSight Taim]].* PutOnABus: Logain is mentioned once in passing at the beginning of The Gathering Storm, and is completely absent from the rest of the book, and from Towers of Midnight. [[spoiler:[[TheBusCameBack Turns out]] he got abducted by Taim [[BeingTorturedMakesYouEvil and was being tortured]].]]* TallDarkAndHandsome: Not that any of the characters are attracted to him, except Gabrelle.* TookALevelInBadass: More accurately, retook one after Nynaeve [[AchievementsInIgnorance ungentled him by accident.]]** HesBack: In-universe, not that that proves to be much of a problem.* TookALevelInCynic: After [[spoiler:almost being turned by the [[BeingTorturedMakesYouEvil 13x13 trick]].]]* VengeanceFeelsEmpty: Slowly beginning to recognize this [[spoiler:especially after [[CurbStompBattle his fight with Demandred]].]]* WalkingSpoiler: It's difficult to talk about anything Logain does after book four [[spoiler:and especially after book six]] without spoiling some key plot twists.* WhatYouAreInTheDark: [[spoiler: Near the climax of the Last Battle, he's given two choices. He can keep searching for the nearby AmplifierArtifact he thinks he needs to gain dominance after the war is over. Or he can lead his remaining forces to [[BigDamnHeroes save hundreds of refugees from being slaughtered]]. [[ConscienceMakesYouGoBack He chooses the latter]], and eventually discovers that [[CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming the love and loyalty of the people are a way to power too.]]]] * WhatTheHellHero: He gets a serious dressing down from Rand after he and his followers [[spoiler:forcibly bond the fifty-one Aes Sedai sent to gentle and hang the Black Tower Asha'man.]]* YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre: [[spoiler:[[CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming His final scene in the series]].]][[/folder]]

[[folder:Jur Grady]]

A Dedicated who works with Perrin, Grady is one of the most prominent lower Asha'man in the series.

* {{Badass}}: As one of the first members of the Black Tower, he is most likely to be seen as this.* HappilyMarried: To Sora Grady. They have a son named Gadren.* TheMedic: A very skilled healer with ''saidin''.* MindlinkMates: Bonded his wife.* NotSoAboveItAll: After [[spoiler:the cleansing of ''saidin'']], he is far more likely to be just as emotional as any of the central characters, or at least stoop to similar antics at times.* TheStoic: Far and wide, he remains stoic outwardly, though [[StoicWoobie the pain he must be causing to his wife from his imminent madness]] is probably part of the reason.** [[spoiler:NotSoStoic: Shows true joy to Perrin after finding out about the cleansing of ''saidin'', since he isn't doomed to go mad and die anymore and can be with his family again. He also freaks out when he unleashes [[HoistByHisOwnPetard the curse of Hinderstap]] on the Dreadlords in Book 14 without being told about it by Mat.]]* TeleportersAndTransporters: Known to be skilled in the use of Gateways, as one of the reasons he stays with Perrin.[[/folder]]

[[folder:Fager Neald]]

A Soldier that works with Perrin and previously served as one of Rand's bodyguards.

* BadassMustache: A very small one he waxes to form points.* TeleportersAndTransporters: Both he and Grady spend most of their time providing gateways for Perrin's army.* UltimateBlacksmith: [[spoiler:In a sense. He assists Perrin in forging the first power-wrought weapon in over two thousand years by instinctively Aligning the Matrix.]][[/folder]]

[[folder:Damer Flinn]]

An elderly Asha'man that travels with Rand's party, and one of the first to reach the rank of Asha'man.

* AfterActionHealingDrama: See 'The Medic' entry.* [[spoiler:AnArmAndALeg: Type 3. His left arm is burned off in battle in Book 14.]]* {{Badass}}: One of the first men to join the Black Tower, and one of the first to reach Asha'man rank. ** BadassGrandpa: [[spoiler: At the cleansing of the Taint on saidin, he leads a circle and drives away Demandred.]]** RetiredBadass: Retired from the the Queen's Guard of Andor after forty years of service.*** OldSoldier * BodyguardingABadass: Chosen for this duty after Dumai's Wells, and later chosen by Rand as one of only three Asha'man [[spoiler: he believes he can trust]].* JumpedAtTheCall: One of the first men to answer, and the first to be tested.* LastNameBasis: For the most part, Rand refers to the Asha'man impersonally by last names.* LetsGetDangerous: At the end of Book 9, upon seeing Flinn while [[spoiler:Rand is trying to cleanse saidin, Demandred]] thinks [[UnderestimatingBadassery 'it's just an old guy with a woman, easy meat']]. Then Flinn [[CoolOldGuy blasts him with fire]] [[CombatPragmatist on sight]].* TheMedic: Joined the Black Tower so that he could learn to heal. He's quite good at it, [[spoiler:to the point where he saves Rand from a wound caused by the Shadar Logoth dagger (though, like everyone else, he can't heal the scars), and discovers the ''saidin'' cure for [[FateWorseThanDeath severing]]]].** CombatMedic[[/folder]]

[[folder:Jahar Narishma]]

A young Arafellin man recruited by Mazrim Taim to join the Black Tower, and becomes a personal bodyguard of Rand.

* AlmightyJanitor: Specifically gets mocked by a couple of full [[{{Jerkass}} Asha'man]] for only being a Soldier and yet being appointed to Rand's bodyguard and various missions.* BodyguardingABadass: Chosen after Dumai's Wells, and one of the three to go to protect Rand [[spoiler:when he cleanses saidin]].* DudeLooksLikeALady: Or his giant pretty eyes do.** {{Bishonen}}* LastNameBasis: For Rand, like all Asha'man except Logain.* PsychicLink: [[spoiler:Bonded by the Aes Sedai Merise as her Warder.]]* UnderestimatingBadassery: Despite the mockery directed at him, he is somehow able to survive the "additions" that had been made to the wards Rand set around ''Callandor'' when he was sent to fetch it.[[note]]It's never made clear if Rand added them himself, then forgot because of the taint and the Lews Therin voice (or simply made himself conveniently forget because he didn't trust any of the Asha'man) or if one of the Forsaken later added them for just such an eventuality.[[/note]] The fact that a line of prophecy in the Karaethon Cycle even implies that his having drawn ''Callandor'' gives him a special destiny ("who draws it out shall follow after") also suggests there is more to him than it seems on the surface.* WideEyedIdealist: At least a little wide-eyed and surprised at the thought of [[spoiler: Taim poisoning the Asha'man who go insane]] and full of idealistic optimism about [[spoiler: Rand's plan to cleanse saidin.]][[/folder]]

[[folder: Androl Genhald]]

A Dedicated loyal to Logain at the Black Tower. Despite being incredibly weak in the Power, he has a Talent with Gateways. He reluctantly adopts a leadership position over some of the men loyal to Logain while Logain was away from the Tower.

* [[spoiler:BattleCouple: With Pevara during the Last Battle due to their growing affection over the course of Book 14.]]* BewareTheNiceOnes: When pushed far enough. All those fancy weaves of Fire and Air that the other channelers use? [[spoiler: He can open Gateways to not only block projectiles, but ''send them back''. If that doesn't kill the enemy, he can ''turn the floor into a giant portal'' and send his foes plummeting hundreds of feet to their deaths. He even gets a OneHitKill on a [[EliteMook Myrddraal]] by using a portal as a ''floating guillotine.'' And that's just under his own power, give him control of a circle and he'll open several massive gates straight into the heart of a volcano and hose down an army with high pressure magma using a Gateway inside of Dragonmount.]]* DesperatelyLookingForAPurposeInLife: Androl was many, many things before he found a place to belong in the Black Tower.* GuileHero: Shows shades of this throughout ''A Memory of Light'', [[spoiler: especially in the way he steals the Dark One's Seals from Taim.]]* [[spoiler: ImpersonationGambit: How he obtains the Dark One's Seals.]]* HeartIsAnAwesomePower: His fellow Asha'man make fun of him because he's only good for gateways (his nickname is 'pageboy' since gateways are frequently used to send messengers). He is one of two in the entire series who can deflect balefire directly in the real world, by redirecting it via mini-gateways. Everyone else either dodges balefire or dies. He also defeated an entire Trolloc army in a matter of minutes, a feat topped only by Rand himself.* IndyPloy: How he [[spoiler:steals the Dark One's Seals from Taim. He uses a spell to change his face to look like one of Taim's lackeys and quietly infiltrate the group, [[OhCrap only to be noticed immediately]]. Taim decide to send said lackey to infiltrate the good guy's group by ''changing his face to look like Androl's.'' Androl humbly obeys Taim's orders, but not before pickpocketing the Seals.]]* [[JumpOffABridgeRebuttal "Jump Off a Cliff" Rebuttal]]: Pevara tries to pull one on him. [[RhetoricalQuestionBlunder It doesn't work]], because Androl has actually jumped off cliffs with the Sea Folk before.* LetsGetDangerous: He seems an unlikely hero, [[spoiler: until he finally steps up as a leader when he learns Logain has been captured by Taim. He never gives up, even when he and the rest of his group are caught and on verge of being Turned. Once he regains his ability to use Gateways, he promptly wipes out a whole group of Darkfriends and sends Taim running.]]* MundaneUtility: He often uses mini-gateways for mundane tasks. He summons a tiny gateway between his fingers that connects directly to his piled stash of tea leaves: the leaves fall through the gateaway and directly into a tea cup. This is as close as the series gets to summoning food via the Power.* MysteriousPast: Has done a [[ExpansionPackPast lot of stuff]] before joining the Black Tower, but doesn't like to talk about it.* NoodleIncident: Androl tried to play the [[DeadlyDecadentCourt Game of Houses]] in the past. And that's all he will say on the subject.* [[spoiler:PsychicLink: In Book 14, he and Pevara bond ''each other'' as Warders, resulting in a far closer bond than other Warders, to the point of being able to have telepathic communication.]]** [[spoiler:MindlinkMates: They grow to have some degree of love for one another over the course of Book 14.]]* TeleportersAndTransporters: He has an extreme Talent for creating gateways, and uses them for a small PortalCut to shear leatherwork alongside many other uses.* UnderestimatingBadassery: None of the Darkfriends consider him as a threat because he - as even he himself admits - is the weakest man at the Black Tower. However, he has ''very'' creative and deadly uses for his Talent with Gateways.* UndyingLoyalty: To Logain, not to Rand.* WeakButSkilled: There is no one deadlier with Gateways than him, but he is the absolute weakest user of ''saidin'' in the Black Tower.* WeaponizedTeleportation: Uses his gateways for such methods as AttackReflector, TeleFrag, and [[spoiler:LavaAddsAwesome]]. The fact that the portals are lethal weapons in themselves by way of PortalCut is almost unnecessary, though he does use them this way as well, such as decapitating a Myrddraal in midair.[[/folder]]----